ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY HAS GOOD YEAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18453, 2 May 1928, Page 4

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY HAS GOOD YEAR.

The sixty-fourth report and balancesheet of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society will be presented at the annual meeting to be held on May 10, at 7.30 p.m. The report shows that the society is in a very strong finam ial position, the assets now exceeding the liabilities by £5138 4s lOd. The net profit on the year's working amounted to £591 3s Bd, an increase of £63 13s 9d over the previous year. It is stated that the stripping season was the most successful in the history of the club. The rainbow trout in the Gardens were stripped and 88,000 ova obtained. The fish stripped were liberated in the Avon River. During the past season 600,000 brown trout eyed ova were obtained from the Southland Society, and 40,000 rainbow trout eyed ova from the Otago Society. A report was submitted from the society's curator to the effect that all the ova received hatched out well. One hundred and twenty fish were tagged and liberated in the Selwvn River in June, 1927. It is a great pity that anglers, when catching marked fish, do not supply to the secretary the particulars desired, as set out on the license. Liberations of brown fry in the rivers in 1927 numbered 1,654,000, and 75,000 rainbow fry. The repoit rt the Lakes' Committee states that tiis fishing, on the whole, was poor last season. The thanks of the Rangers’ Committee are extended to those gentlemen who thought fit during the year to render assistance to the rangers by way of supplying certain information regarding breaches, which have Jed to investigation by the society’s rangers. It is stated that for some time past the Deer Committee have viewed with considerable concern the rapid deterioration of the deer herd; two years ago it was realised that unless drastic steps were at once taken, the nerd, from a stalker’s point of view, would soon be of little value. It was decided that no licenses should be issued for the next two seasons. The forest would only go from bad to worse if the society continued indefinitely to let the few good stags be shot off every year. With a view to encouraging the study of our native bird nfe, the society has instituted an es a ay-writing competition amongst the pupils of the primary and secondary schools in its district. The aims of the Native Bird Committee are, firstly, to foster in school children a love of our native . birds (many of which are fast becoming rare), and by so doing preserve them for the benefit of future generations; and, secondly, to interest the younger people in the work of the society. During the past year the society carried out research work and much valuable data was collected.